How to Forget a Bad Dream

Co-authored by Samantha Fox, MS, LMFT

Last Updated: September 4, 2024 References

Everyone needs a good night's sleep, but sometimes a dream can be so disturbing that it makes it hard to get back to sleep. Some especially bad nightmares are so disturbing that they seem to haunt you even when you're awake, affecting the quality of your daily life. Fortunately, there are many things you can do to help yourself forget a bad dream and reduce the frequency of nightmares when you sleep. Try some of the tips and tricks on this list to see what works for you.

1

Get up and do something.

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This can ground you in reality and snap you out of thinking about a dream. Get out of bed and drink a glass of water in the kitchen or open your curtains and blinds and look outside for a while. Try to think about other stuff until you feel ready to go back to bed.^{[1]
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- You could also read a book or listen to music in bed to distract your mind with something else until you get sleepy again. Whatever takes your mind off the nightmare is great!

2

Write your dream down and change the ending.

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This can help you process and get over the dream. Write down everything you can remember about the dream to face it head on and take its “power” over you away. Then, imagine an alternate ending that makes the dream less scary and disturbing. Any time you think about the nightmare, think about it with the alternate ending you created.^{[2]
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- Sometimes a particularly fantastical or even humorous new ending can really take the power away from a nasty nightmare.
- It might take a while to totally forget the bad dream, but just keep rehearsing the imagined version in your mind until the intensity of the original dream decreases and it doesn’t bother you anymore.

3

Draw or paint your nightmare.

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This is another way to take its “power” away. Grab a piece of paper and something to draw or paint with. Sketch or paint whatever you remember from the dream or whatever was most scary to you about the dream. You might even laugh at the nightmare when you see the finished product!^{[3]
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- After you’re finished with the picture, try tearing it up and throwing it away to symbolically get rid of the nightmare.

4

Practice mindfulness exercises.

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Mindfulness is all about being in the present and can help you forget bad dreams. Try tightening all your muscles for a few seconds, then let go. Pay attention to how each muscle becomes soft and relaxed. Start with your toes and work your way up your body until you reach your face. Focus on how each muscle feels to take your mind of your nightmare.^{[4]
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- You can also try breathing exercises. Simply focus on your breathing and how each breath feels when you inhale and exhale. Breathe slowly and deeply in and out and try to push thoughts about anything other than your breathing out of your mind.
- Try sitting meditation for another mindfulness exercise. Just sit somewhere comfortable with you back straight and your feet flat on the ground. Put your hands in your lap and breathe through your nose. Focus on each breath and how it feels going in and out.

5

Visualize yourself with a protective barrier around you.

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This can help you get back to sleep after a bad dream. Imagine that there’s a protective barrier around your room or around your bed and whatever happened in the dream can’t get past that. Picture yourself having a restful night’s sleep inside that barrier until you drift off again.^{[5]
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- Another visualization exercise you can try is imagining yourself locking your bad dream away in a box. Then, imagine the box being transported far, far away out to sea and dropped into the water. Picture it sinking down all the way to the bottom of the deepest part of the ocean where it can’t escape from to come bother you!

6

Wake up your partner if you sleep with a partner.

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It’s okay to ask for help to get back to sleep. Wake your partner up and tell them you just had a bad dream. Talk to them about the dream and cuddle with them to comfort yourself and forget about it while you fall back asleep. You’re partner is there for you, so they won’t mind being woken up when you need some comforting!^{[6]
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- If you don’t sleep with a partner, but you have a cool roommate who you feel comfortable waking up in the middle of the night, that’s an alternative.

7

Talk with someone you trust about the dream.

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This can make you feel like a bad dream has less control over you. Sit down with a trusted friend, family member, or counsellor and tell them about your dream. Tell them everything you remember about the dream and explain why it’s bothering you so much. Sometimes letting it all out by talking instead of keeping it in your mind helps you move past a bad dream.^{[7]
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- If you’re having bad dreams about something that happened to you, consider seeing a therapist to talk with a professional about your dreams and the issue behind them.

8

Try to identify if something in your life is causing nightmares.

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Recurring nightmares are often caused by external stressors. Think about whether something at work, school, or in your personal life is causing you anxiety that might be why you’re having bad dreams. Try to resolve any issues you can think of to stop having so many nightmares.^{[8]
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- For example, maybe you’re stressed about starting a new job or moving to a new school.
- Try talking about your worries with someone you trust or journal about the things you're going through—if you can work through them while you're awake, you might not dream about them at night.^{[9]
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  Expert Source
  
  Samantha Fox, MS, LMFT
  Marriage & Family Therapist
  
  Expert Interview. 19 January 2021.}
- There is no relationship between bad (or good) things that happen in your dream and things that are going to happen in your real life, so don't stress or worry that your dream is predicting the future.^{[10]
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  Expert Source
  
  Samantha Fox, MS, LMFT
  Marriage & Family Therapist
  
  Expert Interview. 19 January 2021.}

9

Focus on positive things that happened to you during the day.

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This can help you avoid thinking about a bad dream you had. Try to think about something good or funny that happened to you that day. If you had a bad day, try your best to push negative thoughts out of your head before you go to sleep.^{[11]
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- For example, if you’re trying to sleep and you’re worried about having a bad dream again, think about a funny conversation you had with a coworker or about how good your workout at the gym felt earlier.

10

Limit or cut out caffeine, alcohol, and cigarettes.

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These are all things that can contribute to having nightmares. Quit smoking or using tobacco if you do so. Stick to 1 alcoholic drink a day if you’re a woman and 2 if you’re a man, if you drink alcohol. Avoid caffeine and alcohol late in the day so they don’t affect your sleep.^{[12]
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- Certain medications can also cause nightmares. If you take any kind of medication regularly and you notice that you’re having more bad dreams, consult with your doctor.

11

Exercise during the day.

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Pick a physical activity you like, such as working out at a gym, running, jogging, riding a bike, or doing martial arts. Do this activity some time during the day, but not before bed, to help you sleep restfully.^{[13]
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12

Stick to a regular sleep schedule.

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Pick a bedtime that allows you to get about 7-8 hours of sleep every night and stick to it. Avoid taking naps in the afternoons or evenings so you’re tired when it’s time to sleep at night.^{[14]
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13

Avoid violent and scary media before bed.

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Avoid these things at least 30-60 minutes before you go to bed to keep your mind in a more positive place. Try other relaxing activities instead, like reading a happy book, to get ready for bed.^{[15]
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Question

Why do we have bad dreams?

Samantha Fox, MS, LMFT
Licensed Therapist
Samantha Fox is a Marriage & Family Therapist in private practice in New York, New York. With over a decade of experience, Samantha specializes in relationship, sexuality, identity, and family conflicts. She also advises on life transitions for individuals, couples, and families. She holds both a Master’s degree and a Marriage and Family Therapy License. Samantha is trained in Internal Family Systems (IFS), Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP), Emotion Focused Couples Therapy (EFT), and Narrative Therapy.

Samantha Fox, MS, LMFT

Licensed Therapist

Expert Answer

Dreams are the product of your mind processing or working through things that haven't been given the time or space in your awake day-to-day life.

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Question

What do my dreams mean?

Samantha Fox, MS, LMFT
Licensed Therapist
Samantha Fox is a Marriage & Family Therapist in private practice in New York, New York. With over a decade of experience, Samantha specializes in relationship, sexuality, identity, and family conflicts. She also advises on life transitions for individuals, couples, and families. She holds both a Master’s degree and a Marriage and Family Therapy License. Samantha is trained in Internal Family Systems (IFS), Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP), Emotion Focused Couples Therapy (EFT), and Narrative Therapy.

Samantha Fox, MS, LMFT

Licensed Therapist

Expert Answer

Dreams are rarely a literal reflection of what is to come or what has already happened. Instead of taking a dream as literal, try being more curious about the feelings of the dream, and make more space in your conscious life to give that feeling some attention. This can be through journaling, talking to loved ones, or therapy.

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